Antes de esta Vida
by thinkture
Summary: Lisa Cuddy gets an anonymous marriage proposal and finds herself wishing it was for real. This is my first House fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Antes de esta Vida**  
_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K+ (just to be safe)  
Chapters: 1 of ?  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination.  
A/N: This is my very, very first fan fic. I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you._

**Chapter 1**

It was the little things that she noticed at first.

While her administrator eye had been honed over the years to eagle sharpness and made her immune and unfazed to mostly anything, feelings of shock and surprise still cascaded into her system.

"_**Marry me.**_" That was all that the note said, clipped to a single-stem sunflower.

The bright yellow of the blossom looked out of place amid the clutter of her desk, and the dark wood of her office.

She looked around her office, trying to see if anything was out of place or missing. Picking up the flower, she fingered the note, rubbing her fingers over the handwriting, which she couldn't decipher.

"Who wrote this?" she asked aloud. The block handwriting was unfamiliar too her. But then again, with over 200 people working under her, she couldn't really expect to recognize everyone's handwriting.

Looking more closely at the slip of paper, she noticed an ink blot at the bottom, as if the writer wanted to write something more but changed his mind at the last minute.

Smiling to herself, Lisa decided to just keep the sunflower in a vase for now, a reminder of how life can still manage to surprise her. Perhaps she isn't that jaded yet, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Antes de esta Vida**

_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K+ (just to be safe)  
Chapters: 2 of ?  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination.  
A/N: This is my very, very first fan fic. I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you._

_

* * *

_**Chapter 2**

If there was anything that Gregory House, M.D. prided himself on, it was his tenacity. Some people would call it being a jackass, but he preferred to see the glass as half-full.

Today though, the tenacious G was in a pensive mood. And a pensive House could either spell disaster or disastrous genius.

"I never thought the ceiling could hold that much interest for you."

James Wilson, him of the coiffed and shampooed locks, was once again amazed by how House managed to turn the art of doing nothing into, well, nothing. He looked askance at the stubbly doctor.

"James, my man, do you know that the maintenance people are seriously amiss with cleaning windows? Why, I counted 47 blotches on the ceiling caused by raindrop remnants on my window alone. Tsk, tsk, Cuddy's slipping!"

Tossing his tennis ball against the wall, House ruminated on how he could pin Cuddy into springing for one of those humongous LCD TVs for his office, under the pretext of it being a better X-ray light box.

"House, if you didn't resort to splashing the remains of your coffee against the window for the last five years, you would have normal, clean, shiny windows. Although, I think that Nate something guy said splotches are the new polka dots. You could be starting a whole new trend in office decor."

"Bah! Trends suck. If there are any trends worth watching out for, it would be 'Guess how low V-necks can go', as showcased by our dear Dean of Medicine herself." House was practically gleeful at the prospect of seeing the hospital administrator in a navel-deep blouse.

Sitting down on the visitor chair and about to prop his legs on House's table, Wilson suddenly lost his balance as Kutner went careening into the office. He barely avoided crashing into the desk as the oncologist struggled to untangle his legs just in time.

"Oops! Sorry, Wilson," Kutner muttered an apology while trying to regain his balance.

"Cuddy sent me here to tell you to hoof it to the ER. There was a massive pileup on the highway and the ER's getting packed. You too, Wilson."

House sent the younger doctor a glare that would have cowed any intern, but certainly not Kutner.

"Hey, I'm just the messenger," holding his hands up while backing away towards the door. "All I agreed to was to tell you to get your asses to the ground floor because you weren't answering her pages. I'm outta here." He swiftly fled towards the elevator bays.

Wilson got up to stretch his legs and arms and motioned for House to do the same. "C'mon, let's go. The ER's probably flooded by now. "

"Cripple here! Talk about insensitivity. You wound me, Wilson, really," House feigned a pained look as he continued to lounge in his chair. "Call me as soon as the debris clears."

"Right. Because that's when it's about time to go home." Wilson rolled his eyes as he went out the door.

House resumed throwing his tennis ball, lost in thought.

Suddenly, he stood up, almost losing his balance that he had to grab onto the desk for support.

_ER's jammed. Every doctor's there. __Every doctor__, including Cuddy. Which means…_

"Greg, m'boy, time to synch schedules again with our Curly Cuddles' calendar!" he sang out as he hobbled towards the door.

_To be continued_

_A/N: This story is unbeta'ed so all mistakes are embarrassingly mine. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Antes de esta Vida**  
_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K+ (just to be safe)  
Chapters: 3 of ?  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhere  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination.  
A/N: Thank you for all those who have reviewed my story so far. All your comments have been very encouraging. The same goes to the people who placed story alerts on this fic. Please be patient for the Huddy interaction. This story may go into slightly AU mode but I want to keep them in character as much as possible._

_Your reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks._

**

* * *

Chapter 3**

It was almost 9pm by the time the last of the ER's patients were discharged, and the critical ones admitted. At 2pm, she still literally was keeping up on her toes, the picture of efficiency as she attended to the wounded while still on administrative mode. During those crucial hours when the influx of patients never seemed to stop, Lisa Cuddy realized that she had a very good hospital and an excellent team on her hands.

As she trudged wearily back to her office, Cuddy made a mental note to send an email to all the employees who had helped out in the ER crush. If she got some good PR out of this, she might even consider having a good dinner catered in the cafeteria as a reward of some sorts.

Her assistant was long gone by then so she didn't mind taking off her Christian Louboutins as she unlocked the outer door in her stockinged feet. Like any red-blooded woman, Cuddy loved her stilettos and designer shoes but really, they should come with a timer to give her feet a rest.

As she wearily hung up her lab coat and turned on the lamp on her desk, her gaze fell to the sunflower still in its vase. The edges of the petals had wilted a little but it was still upright. She'd forgotten to put the vase near the window so it could get a little sunlight. Call it sentimental but she wanted to keep this flower alive as long as she could. Not until she finds out who was the mysterious person who sent it…and the note.

Swiveling the chair to get her mug, she was surprised to find it gone from its usual place. Instead, a cheery yellow version brimming with the heavenly scent of tea sat on a coaster.

For a few seconds, she could only stare at the coffee cup as if it suddenly spoke a few words. Gingerly, she extended her hand to grab it, careful not to spill the liquid, and placed it on her desk. From the smell alone, she knew it was her favorite brand of chamomile tea.

She sniffed at the tea, checking to see if it smelled weird or had anything suspicious in it. Tired as she may be, Lisa wasn't stupid. For all the excitement of getting an anonymous marriage "proposal", she wanted to make sure she wasn't being drugged and dragged to Atlantic City anytime soon.

Taking a sip, she couldn't bite back the sigh of relief as the hot liquid went down her throat. The warmth spread to her fingers and toes, slowly dulling the throbbing ache that had persisted throughout the afternoon.

A small smile formed on her delicate features as she slowly turned in her chair. As she rotated, she glanced at the coaster where the cup had sat. Reaching across, she carefully pried the small blue Post-It stuck to its bottom.

"_**I hope you don't mind.**_"

Taking her wallet from her bag, she carefully removed a slightly dog-eared piece of paper from its folds.

"_**Marry me.**_"

The same distinct handwriting. _Could it be **him**_?

She read the two notes several times before carefully folding both and slipping them inside her purse again.

It would be so easy to jump into conclusions as to who could be responsible. But she was too tired to even think about who was behind all these and whether it was even worth believing.

_A/N: This story is unbeta'ed so all mistakes are embarrassingly mine. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Antes de esta Vida**

_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K+ (just to be safe)  
Chapters: 4 of ?  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhere  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination._  
_A/N: Thank you for all those who have reviewed my story so far. All your comments have been very encouraging. The same goes to the people who placed story alerts on this fic. Please be patient for the Huddy interaction. This story may go into slightly AU mode but I want to keep them in character as much as possible. Also, this story is unbeta'ed so all mistakes are embarrassingly mine._

_Your feedback - whether good or not - is welcome. It'll help me figure out if I can write decent fan fiction or not. Thanks!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_And what happened last night_…

It was almost 3am by the time he went to bed, and even then it took a long time before sleep came.

He had been toying with the idea for months, weeks, days. Every single idea he came up with was immediately shot down by his overactive brain. God, sometimes he wished it would stop firing neurons once in a while.

He was pretty sure she found the flower. And kept it even. He had seen it in a vase as he stole a glance into her office last week as he passed by.

_I wonder what she did with the note. Heck, she probably threw it away. _

The mug was a blind shot though. He wasn't even sure he could pull it off, considering that she was very anal about her things.

_I'm pretty sure I got the brand right. Oh well, if she didn't, it would still go down the drain anyway. Same as everybody's fluids._

* * *

Cheered by that thought, he finally let his drowsiness overpower him.

James Wilson had always been a morning person. Being Jewish was part of it: his mother had programmed the family's internal clocks so well that even when he was already at university and in med school, he still woke up at 7am and felt sleepy at 10pm. How lame it was to be a fully grown male and still adhere to a bedtime. It was one of the things House constantly teased him about.

This Thursday morning however, it wasn't just the cup of espresso he'd been sipping that gave him a jolt.

At precisely 8:47:19 in the morning (he checked his watch), the sight of House walking through the hospital, headed towards the elevators momentarily stopped him in his tracks.

He checked his watch again: 8:49. He glanced up at the reception area where the day-shift nurses were already murmuring, eyebrows raised, no doubt also wondering why the great Gregory House was suddenly resurrected before 9am.

Walking up to the desk, he attempted to say something to Brenda but only managed to make a small opening in his oral cavity without making a sound.

"Yes, I know, Dr. Wilson. I saw it myself. I actually poked myself with a syringe just to make sure." Brenda, who was arguably one of the most no-nonsense people Wilson had come across, didn't even look up as she continued to look through patient charts.

"He, err, did come in before 9am, then?" Wilson was ready to gulp down his piping hot espresso to bring him back to reality. It seemed he really needed that right now.

Making a huffing sound of exasperation, Brenda raised her eyebrows. "You and I, and just about everybody on the planet knows that an awake and alive Dr. House before 9am is never a good thing."

As the oncologist turned to head to his office upstairs, one of the nurses called out: "Good luck, Dr. Wilson. You're definitely gonna need it."

He only bothered to sigh.

* * *

Watching the lazy tendrils of vapor from his coffee mug, House idly fiddled with the handle of his cane. He had already called the guy. Where the hell is he?

Taking a sip, he grimaced at the taste. _Dammit, three people and no one could even manage to buy a decent bag of beans. _

Glancing at his mobile phone on the table, he toyed with the idea of asking Cameron to come back to the team, if only to be at the receiving end of her good caffeine choices.

At that moment, his pager buzzed. A cursory glance at the screen had him reaching for his cane and jacket and headed towards the door.

* * *

It was rare for House to be seen in the university grounds. Not only was it some distance from the hospital but really, there was no reason for him to go. Once in a while, when Cuddy threatened him, he forced himself to make a trek and do a lecture for the medical students. Besides, the university canteen had even worse food than the hospital cafeteria. Like no Reubens.

A nervous-looking man was seated on one of the benches near the walkway towards the library. He kept standing up, looking around and then sitting down again. As soon as he saw the tall man with a cane, he stood up slowly.

"Are you Dr. Wilson?"

The guy peered at the doctor's scruffy appearance, taking in his wrinkled shirt and slightly stained jeans.

"Yeah. Are you Rajit?" House sat on the bench, stretching out his legs a bit.

"Um, yeah…So…you want the…?" The dark-skinned man tried to put on a show of bravado, even though he was a full foot shorter than the other guy. He wasn't sure about this character, that's for sure.

"Need to see some ID first. Just want to make sure you're not screwing with me." As House held his hand out, he glanced at his cane idly.

"Then I need to see yours too," retorted Rajit, who was tugging out his wallet and extracting his driver's license.

"Forgot my wallet back at the office, but here's my hospital ID. Sorry about the blood spatters."

Not looking the least bit apologetic, House handed over a rather worn-out ID with the name "James Wilson, Department of Oncology" written on it. He had to pay a kid in his neighborhood 20 bucks to replace the picture with an old photo of his and add a few "decorative touches".

At the mention of blood, Rajit looked askance at House and simply took a quick glance at the proffered piece of plastic. "That's good enough for me."

"Here," handing the doctor a small box wrapped in nondescript brown paper. "And here's the receipt from the store, plus my expenses." He wasn't even sure if this guy was going to pay but he'd better.

"Did you give them all my instructions?"

"Everything you faxed me. It's all in there in the receipt."

"Yeah, yeah. And everything's in there as well. If this isn't what I asked, I want a full refund," he growled, as he held out a bulky brown envelope with a rubber band around it.

"Hey man, I did what you asked me. I'm not screwing with you," Rajit clearly didn't like this man at all. The only thing that really convinced him to say yes to this deal was because of Ranjeet.

"I'll make sure to tell Larry you said hello," House said dismissively as he placed the small parcel into his jacket pocket and began walking away.

"Wait!"

Rajit found himself jogging a little as he caught up with House's limping form.

"Can you please give him these? Tell them they're from me and my family. His family. " A brown manila envelope with a heavily taped flap was thrust into the doctor's hand.

House looked at the other man's eyes for a moment, blue orbs piercing black ones.

"Yeah."

Rajit only stood long enough to see House walking away and turned away with a sigh. Ranjeet was one of his few male cousins that he'd been close to. He wondered how Dr. Wilson knew that they were related.

Larry, he had said on the phone, was now a doctor at the hospital and was one of his employees. Larry Kutner, once known as Ranjeet Shahani.

He only hoped Ranjeet still remembered him.

_To be continued_

_A/N: I'm not even sure what Kutner's original Indian name so this is purely imaginative. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Antes de esta Vida**  
_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K+ (for language)  
Chapters: 5 of ?  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhere  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination._  
_A/N: Your feedback - whether good or not - is welcome. It'll help me figure out if I can write decent fan fiction or not. Thanks!_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Six calls and 15 messages while you were gone, Dr. Cuddy."

The clipped tones of her latest assistant Duke accompanied a small handful of notes, plus an almost foot-high stack of folders.

A lunch meeting over at the university had extended well over an hour, leaving the normally organized Lisa Cuddy more than two hours late behind her schedule. Brushing the bangs out of her eyes and subtly straightening her jacket, she took the files.

"Thanks, Duke. Did anyone drop by?"

"Nobody, Dr. Cuddy. I made sure I was glued to my seat. Speaking of which, I really need to use the bathroom," he replied with an embarrassed smile as he quickly ran to the nearest toilet.

In order to find out who was the mysterious person who sent her the flower and the tea, she had explicitly warned her assistant not to leave his post whenever she was not in her office. The plan had been put into action for almost a week now and so far, there hadn't been any notes or flowers lately.

Somehow, she couldn't suppress the small pang of sadness at that thought.

_Has he given up? Maybe he's decided I'm not worth pursuing after all. _

Heaving a small sigh as she opened the doors, she couldn't help but gasp at the riot of color that greeted her.

Lined up near the window behind her desk were three exquisite crystal vases filled with an assortment of gerberas, daisies, sunflowers, baby's breath in sunshiny yellow, orange, red, white and more.

Their cheerful visage lifted her spirits and swiftly put a soft smile on her face.

She noticed that the blossoms were in tropical colors, with the crystal and the beams of sunlight filtering through the blinds highlighting their vividness.

As she reached for one vase to put on her desk, she saw something pink at the corner of her eye.

This time, her hands flew to her mouth as she saw the delicate arrangement that met her vision.

Placed off to the side, far from the bright-faced mood of the tropical blooms, a narrow crystal flute held a simple spray of pink and white rosebuds, tightly bunched together with sprigs of baby's breath.

"_Oh_," was all she could say as she carefully lifted the vase, and touched the petals gingerly.

The soft scent of the blossoms wafted around her delicately and a few tears fell as she carefully read the note tied to a ribbon around the vase.

"_**I love you. I do."**_

"Dr. Cuddy, you have a…" Duke's voice trailed off as he saw the administrator looking quite vulnerable, tears running down her cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Cuddy. Do you want me to, err, come back?" Having no clue about the situation, the assistant could only quickly clamp his mouth shut.

"Oh, no. It's fine, Duke. I'm okay, don't worry." Quickly grabbing a tissue, Cuddy wiped away the streaks of tears on her face and sat down at her desk.

The young man strode to his boss and handed her a sheaf of papers awaiting her signature.

"I moved your two o'clock appointment to 3pm, and then you have Mr. and Mrs. Henderson coming over to check the pediatric wing at 3:30," he said briskly.

As Cuddy reached for her fountain pen, she found the note still tucked in her right hand. Quickly, she placed it into her jacket pocket.

"Thanks, Duke," as she scrawled her signature on forms and then made a note on her desk calendar.

"You said no one came in while I was gone, right?"

"Yes, Dr. Cuddy. Why? Did you lose something?" Duke couldn't help the note of panic in his voice.

"No, no," she reassured him. "It's just that, well, somebody sent me these flowers. And there's no way that person could've smuggled them in without you seeing."

"Honest, Dr. Cuddy. I didn't leave my seat. Dr. House was taunting me earlier about my bladder but I told him that those were your orders." Duke couldn't help being defensive. This was his first real job in two years.

"Dr. House dropped by? You said no one came," her tone suddenly shifted from relieved amusement to curiosity.

"He was with Dr. Kutner, and he just asked me where you were." God, please don't let him get fired. Not now.

"Am I in trouble, Dr. Cuddy? I promise you that no one came into your office." Shit, the last thing he wants is to be dismissed.

"No, no. I'm sure nothing was lost, Duke. Just remember what I told you about Dr. House, okay? He's really sly so watch out for him," She flashed him what she hoped was a smile that was good enough to relieve him of his doubts. She couldn't risk losing another assistant so soon and Duke was fairly decent and practically begging to be of service.

The forlorn young man didn't seem to pick up on the hopeful tone from the female doctor. Cuddy could see him shaking his head as he exited her office.

_House was here? _

Taking the paper from her pocket, she traced the handwriting on the white slip of paper. The words seemed to jump right in front of her eyes.

"_**I love you. I do." **_

_Oh, God. Please tell me it is House._

_Wait. Shit. What did I just say?_

_To be continued_


	6. Chapter 6

**Antes de esta Vida**

_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K+ (for language)  
Chapters: 6 of ?  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhereDisclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination.  
**A/N:** Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate and savor every little word you guys write in the reviews section.I'm still reeling from the events of the latest House episode but be assured that this chapter has no spoilers whatsoever! This one's a bit shorter but a lot of angst and turmoil involved. I hope you enjoy reading it. I'll try to update it again soon. Reviews will definitely motivate me to write faster!_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The incident of the flowers and the third note put Lisa Cuddy in a buoyant mood that lasted over two weeks.

She often found herself grinning like an idiot whenever her thoughts strayed to her mysterious admirer. However, after that incident at the board meeting where she zoned off in the middle of Cardiology chief Dr. Howard's very boring oratory, she kept her girlish impulses to herself and only succumbed to it within the privacy of her office.

If there was anyone else at the hospital who noticed her mood, and the seemingly new rhythm of her stilettos as she made her way from floor to floor, nobody commented on it. However, being the hospital administrator for over five years has imbued Cuddy with a sixth sense of what goes on in every nook and cranny. She knew, for certain, that bets were being made on whether she had a boyfriend or…if House had instigated such a thing, she was getting laid.

She bit back a snort as she found her way to the fourth floor Diagnostics conference room, intent on getting House's signature for a very high stack of long overdue insurance forms from a backlog of cases.

The gangly doctor had her back to her, talking on his mobile phone. As she pushed the glass door open, he remained oblivious to her presence, her heels making no sound on the carpeted floor.

She only caught what was apparently the tail-end of the conversation.

"—Yeah, 8pm. Sure. I'll pick you up. Wear something nice."

_Wait, was that…Did that sound just like a date?_

A heavy feeling suddenly invaded her chest, as if all her nerves were being crushed by a force so powerful. She could only stare at House's back as he held his mobile phone while she tried to breathe.

_I don't believe it…I can't believe it…_

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but at that moment, House turned around, his eyes widening when he saw her standing behind him.

"Dr. Cuddy! To what do I owe the unfathomable torture of your presence?"

It took every ounce of her strength to will her tear ducts not to go into overdrive. Taking a quick breath, she struggled to regain her composure.

"Forms, Dr. House. You're more than two years behind on the insurance forms. Here, get to work!" She couldn't quite disguise the venom in her voice as she thrust the heavy stack of papers into his arms.

"But I don't have Cameron to do my paperwork anymore! You do know that it'll be another two years before I get to finish this, don't you?"

"I don't fucking care, House. I don't care if you get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or use your feet to sign those papers. For once, do something right!"

With that, she turned around and made a quick exit towards the stairwell, where she knew House couldn't follow her.

_Low, Lisa, really low. You just lost it there._

Shaking her head, she quickly ducked into the third floor fire exit as she tried to hold back a sob.

_And I thought…I thought it was me._

_*****  
_

House was taken aback at the vehemence in Lisa Cuddy's voice as she threw him the folders.

He was wondering what got her panties in a twist when he remembered the shocked look on her face as he faced her minutes ago.  
_  
Wait, did she hear what I said on the phone?_

_Fuck. She must've thought…_

The sudden realization of what was behind the Dean of Medicine's reaction and hasty exit brought a sharp jab of pain to House's leg. Leaning on the desk for support, he sat down in his chair while tipping two Vicodin pills into his mouth.

_Goddamn it, what is she going to think?_

_This could ruin everything._

_To be continued  
**  
A/N:** Reviews requested very humbly. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Antes de esta Vida**  
_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K+ (for language)  
Chapters: 7 of ?  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhere.  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination._  
_A/N: I'm trying to keep this fic short. Heck, I didn't know writing fan fiction was sooo hard. But I'll try to wrap this up soon and also update regularly. Please let me know what you think of this story. I'm open to criticism (not flaming though; those are two different things) so, good or bad, please review. Thanks._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

There was a cold war raging along the corridors of Princeton-Plainsboro and from what James Wilson had seen, there was yet no end in sight.

Lisa Cuddy had been pointedly ignoring House and, by proxy, Wilson for the last three weeks. Emails went unanswered (done by her latest assistant and through dictation), visits to her office were now regulated (by aforementioned assistant); and he found out that the Dean of Medicine had taken to eating lunch at the university cafeteria. He had even tried cornering her in the elevator but as soon as she saw him entering, she sailed out so quickly.

His first instinct was to go to House, knowing that it could only have been the dire diagnostician who had instigated this whole shebang.

But all he got was a piercing look with those blue eyes, the steady thump of the oversized ball against the X-ray light box and the occasional rattle of the Vicodin bottle.

Sighing, James Wilson raked a hand through his hair and considered his misfortune.

He asked House; he received no reply. He tried to ask Cuddy; he was barred from doing so. It's not like he was even interceding for either of them so why was he the one suffering?

"If it bothers you that much, wear a hair shirt, tear your clothes and sprinkle ashes over your head," came a rumbling tone from behind him, as he exited the toilet.

"Look, House, whatever it is that's going on between you and Cuddy, please do something about it. It's already hard enough that people think I'm your lackey but it's worse when I have to go the long way round just to do my job!" Leaning against the wall, the oncologist looked at his friend from the opposite side, idly twiddling his cane.

"What makes you think I did something to Cuddy?"

"Why else would she be pissed at you? This is the fifth, no, seventh time she has ignored you longer than two weeks."

"I did nothing. She assumed. That's not my fault."

"Assumed what? And I don't believe you 'did nothing' for even one second!" Wilson's voice carried along the corridor as House started limping away.

_A fucking migraine. Just what I need. _

Cradling her head in her hands, Cuddy wished she were in the Bahamas right now instead of stuck in her office. Absent-mindedly, she took a sip from a cup of tea and winced at the tepid flavor.

She remembered the tea she received from _him _that night.

**_I hope you don't mind._**

The flowers. The sunflower and roses were carefully pressed into the heavy medical tomes she had back home. The rest she had distributed to patients.

**_Marry me._**

Lisa knew she was an intelligent woman. Heck, she was a _smart_ woman, wise to the ways of the world. But she knew that her breakdown that day in the stairwell was far from smart or even wise.

It was very wrong of her to assume that it was House who had been leaving all those cryptic messages, all those flowers and little thoughtful things. House was cryptic yes but as far as she knew, he wasn't a flowers type of guy or even tea. If the diagnostician had indeed been the culprit, he would've laced the tea with rum and left a subscription to a gay magazine or the calling card of a male stripper.

So why this cold war?

_I don't know. I don't know anymore. _

That call she overheard that day. When she finally regained her composure back in her office, she had tried to think rationally.

_Yeah right. Rational, Lisa? Remember you thought of following House to see who his date was?_

Yes, she did thought of that. She had considered asking James to tail House but she knew that he would squeal about it to his best friend in no time. Such a gossip.

_Bros before hos indeed. _

She had briefly considered apologizing to House. But for what? For being selfish enough to think that he was the one proposing? God that would be a laugh. And desperate.

_Think, Lisa, think. Use your head. _

A soft "ahem" broke her train of thoughts and she saw her assistant gesturing at her to pick up the phone.

Mouthing a "thank you", she slipped into administrator mode smoothly.

"Dr. Cuddy"

"Hi, Dr. Cuddy. We've already started the festivities. If you're free, how about coming up now?"

"Thanks. I'll be right up."

_A/N: I know you want to see them together. Don't we all? Let me know what you think the ending of this fic should be. Feedback – good or bad – humbly requested. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Antes de esta Vida**

_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K__  
Chapters: 8 of ?  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhere.  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination._  
_A/N: This chapter's a bit long. There's some introspection here, maybe fluff depending on the way you look at it. Special guesting by Blythe House and a tiny reference to "Birthmarks". _

_I'm trying to keep this fic short. Heck, I didn't know writing fan fiction was sooo hard. But I'll try to wrap this up soon and also update regularly. Please let me know what you think of this story. I'm open to criticism (not flaming though; those are two different things) so, good or bad, please review. Thanks!  


* * *

_**Chapter 8**

Dr. Remy Hadley had been impatiently pacing in the Diagnostics department conference room for the last 20 minutes. Once in a while, she would punch in a few numbers into the phone and then put it down with a bang.

"That idiot! How long does it take a grown man to aim and pee?" She muttered angrily.

Just then, the idiot in question came huffing and puffing into the room.

"Ah…ah…" Panting, Kutner could only lean on the glass table as Thirteen got a cup of water from the corner.

Gulping down the liquid, he finally heaved a big sigh of relief and was about to sit down on a chair when he was suddenly hauled back on his feet rudely.

"Whoa there, cactus! I've been waiting for 2o minutes already! Where the hell were you? We're scheduled to use the lab 30 minutes ago!"

Kutner had never seen Thirteen so wide-eyed, her sculpted cheekbones coming into prominence as she bared her annoyance at him. Heck, she's almost…_beautiful_.

_Whoa, where did that come from? _

Because he promised to himself that he'd try to live up to the ripe old age of 70, he had to think of some quick excuse and not tell the truth of what he had done.

"I, uh, had to help out in the clinic to restrain a patient because…" his voice trailed off as he saw Thirteen's raised eyebrow.

"You better come up with something better than that. You said you were going to the toilet so either you have a serious prostrate problem or you're a girl who just got her first period," she snapped.

_Man, she's…err, maybe she-slash-he's…_

Quickly casting aside any confusing thoughts, Kutner just decided to keep his mouth shut for now. He couldn't afford spilling what he just did, or rather, what he was asked to do. Nobody should know, _nobody_ can ever know.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry I was late. I'll buy you lunch to make up for it. C'mon, let's go," He hoped that switching into pro-active mode would stop Thirteen from questioning him further.

This time, it was Hadley's _other_ eyebrow that went up.

"O-ho! Now the **little** man's ordering me around, eh?" She smirked but followed him to the doors and out the corridor.

****

House was once again at the university grounds, taking up a bench in one of the pocket gardens behind the chapel. He figured not even Wilson in all his oncologist brilliance would find him here. House not 50 feet from a place of worship? They should really slaughter the fattened cow now.

However, on this early afternoon (when he should actually be doing clinic duty), he'd been sitting here thinking. For the last three hours, actually.

At this point, he didn't know if he wanted to go ahead with his plans or not. He couldn't talk to Wilson about it. He couldn't talk to…Well, he really only had Wilson – his Jewish mother – to talk to.

His last conversation with his mother had helped a little but still did nothing to make him come to a final, irrevocable decision.

_(Flashback)_

_Muttering to himself about old ladies and their insane rules about being on time, House grumpily got out of his Corvette. Giving a half-hearted tug at his jacket, he looked up just as the front door of the house beyond opened._

"_Gregory! So glad you got here!" _

_Blythe House still retained grace even in frailty and old age. As she waited for her son to approach, she couldn't help but gaze at her only child as he navigated the pathway to the door. _

_House caught the look of wistfulness and maybe pity in his mother's eyes. It would always be there, he told himself. It's never going to go away. _

"_It's good to see you, Mom." He kept his voice neutral, composed. Around his mother, he knew he still had to be on his best behavior. _

_After stooping a little to give his mother an awkward hug, he stepped back a little to look at what Blythe was wearing. As he took in the all-black ensemble –from the gray pearl earrings, to the lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders, and the velvet dress – his eyebrows went up a notch. _

"_Mom, I told you to avoid the 'Black Widow' look. Wear something nice, remember?" _

"_But honey, I'm still mourning for your father. It's only proper that I wear black," she replied. _

_He couldn't help but chuff a little in indignation. _

"_C'mon, Mom, this is the first time in probably ten years that I've actually invited you to have a decent dinner with me. Usually, you're the one asking and begging me to come," he petulantly said. _

"_I'm __**not**__ changing my clothes, Gregory. So let's go and have that dinner you promised me. I told your Aunt Sarah I'll tell her if the food was any good." _

_Boy, his mother could still shut him up, he groused, as he offered his left arm to his mom while walking to his car._

_Two and a half hours after a particularly sumptuous Mediterranean meal, there was an awkward silence as House nursed a cup of strong black coffee while his mother sipped Earl Gray tea daintily. _

"_Are you finally going to tell me why you invited me to dinner, Greg? Because I do know that it's not because you're missing me," she pointed out gently, a note of sadness in her voice._

"_It's…No, mom, of course I do miss you…sometimes," he smiled somewhat awkwardly. _

"_So is this about your great-grandmother's ring?"_

"_Yeah. Sort of." He shuffled his sneaker-clad feet under the table while gripping the cane across his lap a little more tightly. _

"_You didn't pawn it did you, Greg? I gave it to you years ago because I was hoping that…Well, I'm sure you know what I mean." There it was again, that note of wistfulness. _

_House could only shake his head. _

"_Then where is it then? I hope to God you didn't get married by Elvis in Las Vegas!" Blythe swore that she would go into shock if her only son confessed to choosing a quickie wedding chapel over a traditional marriage ceremony. _

_He managed to smirk a little at his mother's shocked response. _

"_That would totally be the height of coolness, Mom." He allowed the corners of his mouth to lift a little in the semblance of a smile. _

_There was a lull of about ten seconds as his mother anxiously gripped her tea cup. _

"_I want to give it to someone, actually," he murmured, looking down into his coffee cup. _

"_Huh? 'Give it to someone'? In my day, we called it a marriage proposal. Is that what you mean, Gregory?" Blythe could feel the dregs of 77 years of patience slowly drain away as her obstinate offspring chucked out broken replies. _

_However, she was unprepared when House replied with true honesty: _

"_Yes. It is a marriage proposal." _

_They both looked straight at each other then, their gazes piercing. Blythe could see the sudden surge of emotion and clarity in her son's blue eyes as House saw only years of pain, sadness, and yes, hope, affection and love as well in his mother's soft brown ones._

"_Is this what you really want, Greg? Will this make you happy?"_

_A/N: Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are embarrassingly mine. Feedback – good or bad – humbly requested. _


	9. Chapter 9

**Antes de esta Vida**

_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: G (I think)  
Chapters: 9 of ?  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhere.  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination.  
A/N: I apologize for the somewhat long interval between this chapter and the next. I'm nearing the end of this fic. Expect just two or maybe three more chapters (this one included). Thank you for all your reviews. I'm sorry I can't mention all by name those who have left feedback and story alerts but I am grateful to know that people have actually read my meager efforts. I'll try to do better with my next fic. I hope you all stay until the end and –I implore you! – please leave feedback. I'm a big girl; I can handle it. _

**

* * *

  
Chapter 9**

Children's parties are always fun. Nothing like seeing a kid's face light up at the sight of balloons, toys, their favorite foods and the antics of clowns and entertainers. Of course, it's all tinged with a hint of regret, guilt and sadness when these are children doomed to a life inside the hospital because of some grim illness.

Lisa Cuddy watched from the glass door of the pediatric ward's playroom as a clown deftly put together several balloon hats for a gaggle of eight-year olds. A dog, a snake, a panda (or maybe it was a bear) and each recipient was giggling as the creations were placed on their heads

The nurses and doctors in the pediatric wing organized a quarterly birthday celebration for all the kids on the floor so that they wouldn't miss out on having a festive atmosphere. Heck, if there was any one who deserved birthday parties, it's these kids.

Cuddy made a mental note to herself to check the Pediatrics budget. Little gatherings like these made a huge difference not only to the families of the kids but it was also something that opened donors' hearts and checkbooks.

She saw the clown coming towards her, with a trio of fist-sized doughnut-shaped balloons in hand, miming on putting it on her wrist.

She laughed and held out her right hand. But the clown refused and reached for her left hand instead, trying to sandwich the inflated rings on her ring finger.

However, she was totally unprepared when the clown suddenly spoke:

"Dr. Cuddy, will you marry me?"

Bewilderment, shock, even fear danced across the administrator's face as the words echoed in her brain.

She quickly regained her poise however, and flashed a false smile, despite the fact that she felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Oh, that's so cute, Mr. Clown. But I'm sorry. I can't marry you.

The kids were looking up between the two of them, curiosity on their little faces.

"Why would you want to marry a clown?" piped up a nine-year old whose name tag said Katie.

"Because then they could live in a circus, ride elephants and they'd have fun forever!" chirped in a boy who was wearing a beanie with a propeller.

The clown continued to grin goofily at her, as Cuddy scrambled to come up with a plausible escape route.

_Very nice, Lisa. Cornered by a clown and children. _

Her white knight came in the form of Dr. Barry Tang, one of the senior pediatricians. He clapped his hands as if shooing a flock of pigeons, and promptly announced that it was time to eat cupcakes, popcorn and all sorts of unhealthy things.

As the kids (and the clown) made a mad dash for the tables set up on the other end of the room, Cuddy took the opportunity to slip out of the room, her balloon rings in hand.

"Dr. Cuddy, wait!"

At Dr. Tang's voice, she turned around, quickly smoothing her bangs out of the way.

"You forgot your cupcake," he said, handing over an icing-covered concoction with what looked like a full jar of candy sprinkles on it.

"Thanks, Dr. Tang. But you shouldn't encourage my sweet tooth," she replied with a smile.

"I know. But I think you deserve it," he smiled, his slanted eyes disappearing in mirth.

"Will you marry me, Dr. Cuddy?"

Her mouth fell open as she looked at the pediatrician, who kept smiling at her, like he hadn't just made a marriage proposal.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Tang. What did you say?" Her voice squeaked a little at the last word.

The expression on the doctor's face was unreadable but his eyes were twinkling.

"Thanks for coming, Dr. Cuddy, and have a nice day," he smoothly said, and walked briskly back towards the party.

She forced her feet to make a beeline for the nearest toilet on the floor, hoping that it would be empty.

She splashed her face with water, taking deep breaths at the same time.

_Am I hallucinating? A clown just asked me to marry him! And then, my pediatrician asks me 20 minutes later!  
_

She stared at her face in the mirror, taking in the fact that she was flushed pink and her eyes were glittering more than usual.

_Get a grip on yourself, Lisa! What they said meant nothing. It was probably just a practical joke for the kids.  
_

As she wiped her face and hands dry, her pager buzzed, the message was from Brenda Previn asking all available doctors to go to the clinic due to the sudden influx of patients.

She sighed but made her way to the bank of elevators. As she stood waiting, her mind drifted to the last two months.

It hadn't been easy to keep her composure around House but she thought she still managed to behave reasonably well. Except for that time in his office when she overheard him on the phone. Other than that, she had coursed everything work-related through Duke, including Wilson's.

By the time the elevator car arrived, she was glad to see that it was quite full. At least she wouldn't be too preoccupied with her thoughts on House too much if she had been alone or with only a few people.

As the elevator signaled its stop at the ground floor, she quickly exited but not before she overheard someone call out her name.

"Dr. Cuddy!"

Swiftly, she turned around and caught sight of Jill Andersen, one of the respiratory nurses grinning at her from inside the elevator, with an armful of charts.

"Will you marry me?" she said with a smile.

Lisa could only stare as the doors slid shut and she was left gaping like a fish.

_To be updated soon!_

_A/N: Like it? Loathe it? Please leave feedback. Thanks._


	10. Chapter 10

**Antes de esta Vida**

_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K  
Chapters: 10 – The Last Chapter  
Appearances by: House, Cuddy, Wilson, Old Team, New Team and probably a stray or two from nowhere.  
Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D. the show, nor the characters, plot lines and everything in between. I only have my imagination.  
A/N: This is it, folks. The Last Chapter. It's fairly long. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed plotting it in my head (and getting distracted from work). This chapter is very much AU but I tried to temper it. What can I say? I'm just a closet romantic. In case anyone doesn't know yet, the title is Spanish for "before this life." It's also a line in one of my favorite Spanish-language songs._

_Thank you to all those who have stuck to this story. I appreciate all the feedback you've given. I have a long way to go in terms of writing fan fiction and creative writing but at least I've given it a go. Thanks for everyone who subscribed to this fic's story alerts and even those who were brave enough to mark this as one of their favorite stories._

* * *

**Chapter 10**

There is really only one way to describe the current state of the clinic at that moment: bedlam.

An ear-splitting chorus of angry voices, wailing children, sneezing, coughing and various other ailments formed a cacophony that even the most jaded medicine personnel would not be able to endure for long.

Brenda Previn clearly had her hands full making sure that there were enough doctors and nurses to attend to the patients. She had to ask orderlies to place several benches and chairs outside of the clinic to accommodate the still growing number of walk-ins. Thankfully, her call for help to the doctors hadn't gone unanswered.

The sight of the hospital administrator in her white coat brought a little relief to the harried nurse. If there was one thing that Brenda could count on, it was Dr. Cuddy staying on top of the hospital game.

"Dr. Cuddy! I'm so glad you're here. It's starting to become a nightmare. I've never seen the clinic so full!" she exclaimed as she handed over a clipboard to the Dean of Medicine.

Lisa took in the crowded waiting area and the rows of people already starting to fill up the extra chairs outside with a practiced eye.

"Who are the doctors on duty? I think we need to improvise with extra exam rooms to accommodate all these," she said as she perused the list of doctors currently manning the exam rooms.

"I've already asked some of the orderlies and maintenance to close off a section of the auditorium. That at least adds three more extra spaces," she replied briskly, as Cuddy immediate signed off on the request.

"Good. Thanks, Brenda. Dr. Madison has to prep for a surgery in 20 minutes so I'll relieve her," Cuddy said, as she made sure her stethoscope was in place.

"No problem, Dr. Cuddy. She should be finished by now so just go in and I'll send in a patient," Brenda discreetly heaved a sigh of relief as she handed a chart to Cuddy.

As the doors to the clinic swung open, Lisa Cuddy was in full doctor mode.

_Well you did say you miss practicing medicine, Lisa, so here you are._

As she strode to the direction of the exam rooms, she almost bumped into a frail old woman clutching a walker.

"Oh my, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" She apologized while checking if the woman had suffered any injuries.

"Oh…no, dear. I'm fine. Except for this wretched pain in my hips." The old woman looked like she was 80 and sported a garish purple tint to her hair but her eyes blazed a bright blue.

"I see. We'll try to do something about that. But, ma'am, I do think you need to sit down and wait. We'll get a doctor to see you soon," she said soothingly while holding the older woman's hands in her own delicate ones.

"Oh, thank you, Doctor. You're so nice. Would you mind terribly if I asked you to marry me?"

For two seconds, Cuddy was sure her pulse doubled its pace. Upon hearing the other woman's words, she was immediately tempted to yank off the purple hair, hoping it would be a wig and it was just her staff playing tricks on her.

"Uh, ma'am, I think you're in much more pain than you thought you were. Let me see if I can get another doctor to see you now," she said with a forced smile as she gestured to a nurse and quickly whispered instructions to her.

"Dorothy here will take care of you. Please just wait," she said by way of goodbye, as she quickly strode to Exam Room 3. She took a minute to lean against the wall and take deep breaths,

_Breathe, Lisa, breathe. It's just stress okay? And maybe that old lady is just senile. Besides, you never did like geriatrics that much._

The adjoining room's door just opened and she glimpsed Dr. Taub writing down a prescription for a miserable-looking 12-year old with her mom. Dr. Taub managed a quick wave of acknowledgement as Cuddy opened the door in front of her.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Cuddy. Let's see what's wrong with you…." Her voice trailed off as she looked at the chart in her hands for the name of the patient, or patients as it turned out.

"This is my son Charlie and…_hachoo_! Sorry, I'm Josie Paulo," the nasal voice of the red-nosed brunette said in reply. Six-year old Charlie just stared at her blankly.

"Nice to meet you, Josie, Charlie. Well, Josie, you seem to be suffering from the flu but let's check to make sure," she said gently while briskly looking at both mother and son's pupils and then listening to their breathing. A quick check of their temperatures showed that the mother had early flu symptoms but little Charlie, thankfully, was still sprightly enough.

"Dr. Cuddy?" A small voice piped up from the exam room table.

"Yes, Charlie?" She swiveled her head as she rummaged through the cupboard to check for available antibiotics.

"Will you marry me?" He looked at her without blinking, his brown eyes boring through hers.

"Uh…" she quickly glanced at the mother, but Josie was smiling at her son and just gave her a shrug.

"That's sweet of you, Charlie but, you're too young. Besides, I'm sure your mom wouldn't want you to get married so early," she said with a smile.

Okay, now she's pretty sure that this isn't a prank.

_A six-year old? Can it get any worse?_

"But he isn't. I think you could marry him. Ouch!" Charlie exclaimed as his mother suddenly nudged him too sharply with her elbow.

Cuddy was taken aback by the child's statement.

_'He'? 'Him'?_

"What are you talking about, Charlie? Maybe you're getting a fever, too," she said with a hint of concern and curiosity. She checked the child's pupils again and held a hand against his forehead.

"Him. That man who was just here earlier," he said simply, the innocence of his brown eyes boring through hers.

"He's out there waiting for you," came the soft voice of Josie.

"I…Let me just check something. Please wait here for a minute," Cuddy said swiftly, her pulse suddenly racing as she opened the door and almost ran along the corridor to the waiting area outside.

As she turned the corner, the crowd of people sitting down suddenly stood up as one and moved towards her.

She suddenly felt trapped, fear washing over her as she took in their faces with expectant expressions. It was like being in a horror movie where there was no way out.

"Hey there, Dr. Cuddy! You really are hot! Will you marry me?" A football player with mud streaks on his face called out to her cheerfully, his helmet still on his head. He placed a sunflower in her hand as she could only look at his face blankly.

_What the hell?!_

A tap on her shoulder made her turn around as Jorge, one of the male clinic nurses, offered her another sunflower while giving her a gap-toothed grin.

"Marry me instead, Dr. Cuddy!"

"What the…" she sputtered.

It seemed then that everyone took that as a signal to suddenly clamor for her attention all at once and each one of them had a sunflower for her.

"Me! I want you to marry me, Dr. Cuddy!"

"No, me! I want her!"

"It's me she likes!"

Suddenly it was as if a conductor had raised his baton and the crowd called out in unison:

"WILL YOU MARRY…"

"Me, Lisa?"

A voice at the back emerged in the silence, completing the question.

There was a soft shuffle as the crowd reverently stayed silent as the speaker moved through the throng.

"Don't mind the mob," he said calmly, while holding tightly to the biggest bouquet of rosebuds she had ever seen.

It took him a while to navigate his way somewhat awkwardly, as the rest of the people watched on, enraptured with the drama unfolding before them. Only the occasional sniffle and cough was evidence that these were actually clinic patients.

He stopped just a couple of feet away from her, cane in one hand, flowers in the other.

"A while back, you told me to do the right thing," he said, his voice clipped but his body language betrayed his nervousness.

"I wasn't sure then, still not that sure now if this is how I'm supposed to do it. If this is indeed the right thing that will make me happy."

"If it will make _you _happy," he said quietly, his gaze piercing hers.

"Are you willing? Because if you are…" He then took a step forward, so close that he could feel the tremor of her body, and she the heat of his.

"_**Marry me, Lisa**_," he finished as he planted a soft kiss on her mouth, her upturned face seeking his, like the sunflower naturally follows the source of life-giving light.

Pinpricks of light exploded behind her eyelids as their lips met, as a sudden rush of emotions broke through the surface of her sanity, even as she struggled to comprehend everything that was happening.

_It's House. It's Gregory. It's him. **It is him**_. She kept saying to herself as if the words would suddenly change everything that had been happening if she didn't say them quickly enough.

It seemed like they had been kissing for days before their connection was broken.

"C'mon, say yes, Dr. Cuddy!" Someone called out excitedly.

"If she doesn't want to marry you, Dr. House, I will!" injected a gangly teenager dressed in full Goth regalia.

As if of one mind, both of them turned towards the hecklers and gave them identical glares that immediately stopped their yapping.

"As you can see, Dr. Cuddy, I'm not exactly running out of options here," he said with a smirk, his blue eyes twinkling. He topped it off by wagging his eyebrows in his typical way.

"Shut up, Dr. House," she managed to fire back, poking him in the shoulder.

She took a deep breath.

"If there's anyone you're going to be marrying in here, it's me," she said with a coy smile.

"Damn right," he said smugly, as he slipped the sparkling emerald-cut diamond ring over her left ring finger. The stone, surrounded by azure sapphires, twinkled invitingly.

Their lips met again in an explosion of applause, cheers, hoots and whistles as everyone in the clinic gave the couple a response they never forgot.

The noise was loud enough to send Brenda Previn running into the clinic, hands on her hips the moment she saw the diagnostician locked in an embrace with the Dean of Medicine.

"Dr. House! What have you done now?" she demanded furiously.

Lisa Cuddy looked into the face of Gregory House as she responded to the nurse.

"The right thing, Brenda. Finally."

_A/N: So what do you think? Was it just sappy enough for you? I just couldn't resist giving it a happy ending. House was slightly OOC for this chapter but I personally think that any guy who's getting ready to pop the question is bound to not feel like himself, too. Please review!_

_AA/N: I added an epilogue!_


	11. Epilogue

**Antes de esta Vida**

_A House, M.D. fan fiction  
Rating: K  
Chapters: Epilogue or Wrapping Up Loose Ends  
A/N: I couldn't resist writing a last chapter! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Epilogue**

The story of the curmudgeon Dr. Gregory House's marriage proposal to the hospital administrator only served to magnify his already inflated, err, legendary reputation at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. The fact that there were more than 20 people as eye-witnesses could not be denied.

For a few days, it was heard that Brenda Previn fainted at the sight of Dr. Lisa Cuddy and Dr. Gregory House kissing in the clinic. Another version said she whacked him on his good leg with a cane and threatened to numb both legs with lidocaine if he didn't let the Dean of Medicine go.

Nobody but House knew how Brenda was into his little scheme from the start. And so were Dr. Tang, Jill, Jorge, a few other hospital staff, and even that errant clown.

But not without payback of some sort.

Unbeknownst to Cuddy, in exchange for their cooperation in his master plan, the doctors and nurses involved asked for Dr. House's compliance by way of several demands:

One lollipop a day is the limit.

No more rigging of the lockers and the doors in the male doctors' shower rooms.

No more swapping of the DVDs from the pediatric patients' video library with the ones from the fertility clinic.

There were at least ten demands from the people involved before they gave their consent.

But he really got hit with Brenda's demand to meet his clinic hours every single day for a year, and actually pay for his lunch.

The last two he tried to fudge off until the last minute.

"Wilson willingly pays for my lunch, you know?" he grumbled.

"Everybody knows that you've managed to exist here thanks to Dr. Wilson, and Dr. Cuddy," she pointed out. "They practically feed you and keep you alive, you know."

"Yeah, I know. But Wilson never wants to give me a bath. I've always asked him but he keeps refusing. It's giving me serious body issues," he said with a pout while batting his eyelashes at the nurse.

"Enough. Either you accept these two most important conditions or I'll be blabbing to Dr. Cuddy and everybody else here on what you're planning to do," she said with finality.

She placed a printed sheet of paper in front of him to sign and shoved a pen in his hand.

"Hey this is illegal, you know. I'm being coerced. I need a lawyer for this," he complained.

"Quit whining or you're going to marry _me _instead," she threatened.

"That's bad enough for me. Signing already, look! Please, I don't want to sleep with the Bogeyman," he mock pleaded.

Brenda Previn's smile was clearly predatory, and that made House really think that he had just signed a pact with the devil herself.

*****

Even though everyone in the hospital – from the janitor to the parking attendant – quizzed them, none of House's team had any idea of what their boss had been up to.

Foreman, Chase and Cameron had repeatedly tried all tactics to get Taub, Thirteen and Kutner to talk. Bribed them with dinner, drinks, concert tickets, even dates (Cameron artfully warded off any suggestions that she go out with Dr. Hadley). Taub and Thirteen knew that it wasn't really the idea of House proposing marriage that ticked off the original trio but more of the fact that they didn't make bets on it.

Except Kutner.

As Cameron glumly walked out of the diagnostics conference room, once again thwarted in her attempts to fish information from the team, Kutner continued to toy with his phone.

"Hey, Kutner," Taub called out from across the corner of the table. "You really didn't know anything about House's game?"

Thirteen observed quietly from her place, her eyes never leaving the other fellow's face.

"No. None of my business," he simply said.

"But I do owe him something."

*****

It took three days for Wilson's anger to thaw.

That he had to hear it from the night janitor (the one who wears his pants backward) of the news of Greg and Lisa's engagement--and the ensuing soap-opera ending--was the last straw. It was bad enough that he was the first person people asked to verify if the rumors were indeed true.  
_  
Some best friend._

While he felt miffed that Greg didn't even tell him his plans, a part of him understood his friend's desire for confidentiality. This was a huge step for House.

_Maybe House is growing up._

He had gone to Lisa the very next day with flowers (No roses or sunflowers as he had heard that House had the monopoly on them) and wished her _mazel tov_. He couldn't miss the sparkle in the administrator's eyes or how she seemed to glow.

_Funny how it turned out that they may be right for each other._

His rumbling stomach reminded him that it was time for lunch and he proceeded to the cafeteria.

As usual, he and House were lined up next to each other, but barely speaking. It was not until they had reached the cashier that Wilson crossed his arms and looked expectantly at House.

The man muttered something in what sounded like curses in Japanese, all the while extracting cash from his wallet and giving it to the cashier, who sported an ear-to-ear grin.

James clapped his friend on the back heartily.

"Good going, buddy. Keep doing this and I might forget the whole thing ever happened," he said cheekily.

"Shut up, Wilson. I hope you choke at the reception," House grumbled.

_Fin_

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed the epilogue! Liked it? Loathed it? Please review. I may be inspired (or discouraged) to write another fic if you leave reviews!_


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